


A Wild Civility

by glorfys_glorioushair



Category: Castlevania (Cartoon), 悪魔城ドラキュラ | Castlevania Series, 悪魔城ドラキュラX 月下の夜想曲 | Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, 悪魔城ドラキュラX 追憶の夜想曲 | Castlevania: Nocturne of Recollection
Genre: Bad Cooking, Betaed, F/M, I Ship It, I Will Go Down With This Ship, I'm Bad At Tagging, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, a wild civility, give them the love they deserve, here we go y'all, i repeat she cannot, i've been working on this so long, inspired by a video game and a radio drama go figures, maria cannot cook, these two are everything to me, they are practically canon, why is mariacard so underrated
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-07
Updated: 2020-10-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:47:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23045002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glorfys_glorioushair/pseuds/glorfys_glorioushair
Summary: What exactly happened following the events that took place in Symphony of the Night? This is a story to answer that question and follows the lives of Maria, Richter, and Alucard as they deal with repercussions and trauma both past and present, all the while building new relationships and lives. Will everything work out in the end? No one knows for sure. But as tales often go, the night does have a way of creeping up on the daylight...
Relationships: Alucard & Maria Renard, Alucard | Adrian Tepes | Arikado Genya & Dracula Vlad Tepes | Mathias Cronqvist, Alucard | Adrian Tepes | Arikado Genya & Lisa, Alucard | Adrian Tepes | Arikado Genya & Richter Belmont, Alucard | Adrian Tepes | Arikado Genya/Maria Renard, Alucard/Maria Renard, Annette/Richter Belmont, Dracula/Lisa (Castlevania), Richter Belmont & Maria Renard
Comments: 31
Kudos: 29





	1. An Unexpected Arrival

**Author's Note:**

> "A careless shoe-string in whose tie  
> I see a wild civility;  
> Do more bewitch me, than when art  
> Is too precise in every part"
> 
> Delight in Disorder-Robert Herrick

_Autumn of 1797, two months following the events taken in Dracula’s castle…_

Maria was determined not to smash her fingers again with the hammer. Her hand still throbbed as she lugged another wood board across the roof of her cottage. The cottage was a gift from the Belmonts. Richter and Annette had recognized that Maria was not about to languish her days at the family estate, and found a simple house for her to manage on her own. It was a two days travel from the Belmonts and the nearest town—Lupesh—was roughly six miles away. 

Maria shoved the board into its place. She wiped her brow with the sleeve of her glove. There had been minimal repairs needed, the roof needing the most work. Richter had promised that if she tended to the interior, he would work on the exterior. However, he had never shown back up. Not that she was complaining though. She liked to work.

“Okay. Now where did I set that hammer?” Maria glanced around and eyed it across the way. Ugh. A carpenter’s belt would’ve been incredible to have at the moment. 

“Stay,” she muttered the plank she had just inserted and slowly made her way over to grab the hammer. She wasn’t about to fall right now. Seconds later she was back to the plank and going to town on it while singing a few tunes. She had just released a swing at the final nail when someone called out. 

“Maria?” 

She whipped her head around to see who in God’s name had come calling at her door. She’d only visited the village once, Richter having supplied her with enough to last for another week or so. She hadn’t really gotten to know the townsfolk yet. The hammer smashed into her index finger and white light flashed in her vision as she howled out a string of curses. That was sure to leave a mark beneath her gloves.

“Well hello to you too.”

Through watering eyes, Maria saw none other than Richter standing in front of the house, his familiar blue coat peeking out beneath an ash grey cloak. She immediately noted that his brown hair was still long but was pulled back at the nape of his neck. “Richter! What on earth…?”

“What are you doing on the roof Maria? And what are you wearing?” he asked, arms crossed, yet his eyes sparkled with amusement. No one was around so she was able to don breeches and a favorite blouse that was in Annette’s opinion, more of a man’s shirt. 

She held her injured finger and gave him a filthy look. “It’s good to see you. And that’s quite a few questions for someone showing up unannounced,” she said. “But as you can see I wasn’t about to wait around for you to fix the roof. I was quite sick of hearing rain plink into half-full pots of rain water.”

He sighed. “Well, that is a fair statement. I actually wasn’t here to fix your roof either.”

“Oh?”

He scratched his head. “There is something else I wanted to discuss with you.” 

“That’s fine. What is it?” 

Richter looked around to see if there was anyone coming down the meager road that ran past the cottage. “Inside might be more appeasable.”

Now it was her turn to sigh. “Richter. There’s no one around for at least five miles.” She gestured with her hammer. “Come on, you can tell me.”

“No I’d much rather have this discussion inside.” His voice was serious and demanded zero argument. Ugh. 

“Okay then.” She picked up her hammer. She’d have to finish this up tomorrow. “The door is right there. I’ll be down in a moment.”

Richter nodded.

Roughly ten minutes later the two were seated at the table in the kitchen, Richter still wearing his cloak. He had insisted that he’d rather keep it on despite her protests of the warm coals in the kitchen stove. With a steaming pot of tea between them Maria finally felt ready to ease into this mysterious and important conversation.

Maria began pouring tea into the two silver trimmed porcelain cups set out in front of them. “How is Annette and everything at the estate?”

“She’s ecstatic.” Richter said, blowing his tea.

Maria quirked an eyebrow as she raised her cup to her lips. “That’s a good thing correct?”

“Of course,” Richter said, playing with the fringes of the calico tablecloth. “She’s expecting.”

Maria’s heart immediately swelled with sunshine, leaving her bitterness of stopping her work early behind. She would have jumped for joy had a hot teacup not been in her hand. 

“This is wonderful news! I’m so happy for you two! Do you know when the baby will arrive? Gracious, this is exciting!”

Richter held up his hands, an awkwardly sweet smile forming on his face. “Heh, calm down. We had found out right before I left. Annette gave me permission to tell you. If I had to guess probably—“

“Mid to late June,” Maria supplied, settling back down.

“Yes.” Richter’s face shone with pride, his classic dorky grin on his face. “I’m going to be a father.”

Maria was thrilled. She would get to be an aunt, something she never thought to be possible considering she had previously been an only child. 

“And you? How do you fare brother dear? I noticed that you’ve kept the long hair.”

Richter gave her a hollow chuckle and ran a hand through his brown locks. “I’m not possessed anymore if that is what you’re thinking. And Annette likes it which came as a surprise.”

Maria rested her hand on his arm. “Everyone sounds well. That makes me so happy.”

“Thank you. It seems things are well for you?”

“Yes. All good here.”  
Richter looked at her expectantly awaiting a more elaborate response. Maria cleared her throat. “So what really brought you here? It definitely was not about the baby.”

“No but it is about another child.” 

Maria stilled. “Twins?” One child at a time was already dangerous enough. Two would be…

“No—Ouch!” Richter twisted up out of his chair. “Oh alright you can come out.” 

Out from under Richter’s coat flew a bat. She went to reach for the hammer that she had set down earlier. It was leathery black, its beetle eyes hard and unfeeling making her stomach nauseous just looking at the darn thing. Maria tore her eyes away from the blight that now flapped about her kitchen, narrowing her gaze at her brother-in-law.

“Richter what is the meaning of this? Because if this is a joke...”

“No it isn’t. Show her,” he told the bat. Had he lost his mind? Bats didn’t understand humans unless… oh. Realization began to finally dawn on her. There was a burst of gold and violet smoke and suddenly a man she hadn’t seen since the fall of that accursed castle was standing in the kitchen of her home. 

She rose on two unsteady legs. “Alucard?” 

There he was still clad in the exact attire as when he left her and Richter that day on the ravine-- the heavy black, gold-trimmed coat and gloves, his unkempt white blond hair, and that wicked sharp longsword at his waist. She looked back and forth at the two men, unable to form a coherent sentence. 

“Hello Maria.” Alucard adjusted his collar, turning to Richter. “Thank you for bringing me here.”

“You’re welcome. I still have so much to repay you for saving my life.”

Alucard held up a hand. “Before you get carried away with your words for the third time, don’t worry about repayment. I was righting all the wrongs my father had committed. It was the least I could do.”

Maria’s mind reeled. How did he find them? Most of all was the classic, why bother? 

“Enough of the penitent talk.” Maria found herself standing, hands on her hips. “What is the meaning of this?”

Richter pointed at Alucard. “Found him sniffing around my horses about half a week ago.”

“I think I can speak for myself Belmont,” Alucard said, crossing his arms. “And that is not what happened at all.”

Maria rolled her eyes out of impatience. “Then do enlighten me.”

He looked at her, his golden eyes alight with cool indifference. She steeled herself in her chair to keep from recoiling.

“It turns out that we end up meeting again, unlike I previously thought,” Alucard began.

His words still flitted through Maria’s mind every time the sun set. _Farewell, then. We won’t meet again._ “Yes, I remember.” She also remembered spending the entire week trying to find him, Richter finally convincing her it was no use. 

Alucard continued. “I presume you are familiar with vampires, dhampirs and the like entering long eternal sleep?” 

Maria shook her head. “I may do an excellent work in killing your kind, but I’m afraid I’m still educating myself on lore. I had a late start to the business.”

“Well, oftentimes creatures of the night that have a certain level of immortality have the ability to alter the flow of their bodies. This allows them to sleep for long periods of time that can span over a thousand years.”

“How long were you asleep before?” Maria asked. 

Alucard’s eyes snapped back to hers. “Three hundred years.” 

She looked down at her gloved fingers, picturing the red bruises that must be spread across all ten of them. So that was a touchy subject to him. “Oh. And this matters how?”

“I returned back to my resting place and discovered that I am unable to return to that state. I do not understand why this has happened, but I only know that it appears that I must remain awake for however long it permits. The last time I had used this stasis was only for a year.”

“And when was that?” Richter leaned back in his seat.

“1476. Your ancestor Trevor Belmont was the one to wake me. I woke on my own this time with only the notion of dark powers converging. It appears that the longevity has now prevented me from returning to the stasis. I am stuck.”

The words “with us” lingered in the air between the three of them. Maria didn’t usually mind this kind of talk, but it twinged her heart nonetheless. She did not hate Alucard-- he had saved her brother-in-law, how could she? Yet, it seemed that the dhampir did not share the same feeling she did.

“I thought it best to search for the people who I had fought beside. Finding the Belmont Estate was rather easy. Your clan is not keen on moving around for hundreds of years it seems,” Alucard said.

Ignoring the snide comment, Richter turned to Maria. “I came across him in the hay with the horses after one of our stable boys reported a large wolf lurking in the area. I invited him inside for an inconspicuous drink and we had a deep discussion about the situation. I know that you wanted to make a life for yourself in a more secluded spot in Wallachia and we were both thinking that,” Richter glanced at the frowning dhampir, “Alucard could reside with you here at the cottage.”

Maria covered her face, nearly spewing tea out her nose. “What?” That was the least she expected, but she should’ve seen coming.

Alucard paced the room, coat swishing about his legs like a funeral shroud. “Listen Maria. It’s the most logical option the three of us have. From your reaction, it’s an unpleasant one but it saves Richter an explanation he would have to give his household and neighbors.”

“As to why there’s a vampiric man living with the Belmonts?” she added.

“Exactly.”

Richter rested his hand over hers. “I know this is hard for you. I understand you want your privacy after all that’s happened in the past year. You know I’m sorry about that. I just want to keep doing good for as many people as I can. There’s an extra bedroom here, giving enough space for the two of you.”

Maria pulled her hand away. “No I understand. I want to keep making this land a better place as well. It does make sense and besides it’s not like I have a choice. This is legally your cottage, you know.” And it was. She loathed the politics of her beloved country. 

Richter nodded sadly. “I know. But I want to treat it like it's yours.”

Her chest warmed with gratitude. He was definitely not a man of the times and she loved him for it. “Thank you.” 

Maria looked up at Alucard who was regarding their conversation as a hawk that sits atop a tree and eyes the pigeons below. “You have my permission to stay here until you figure out your stasis dilemma. I will warn you I’m a terrible cook.”

Alucard gave back stony silence as his response. Why did he have to be so uptight about every single moment? Did he still not like jokes?

“She’s not wrong on that one,” Richter said, taking a last sip of his tea.

She shot a glare at her brother-in-law. He just laughed and got to his feet. “Well. I’d love to stay for supper, but I want to get back to Annette as soon as possible.”

Maria jumped up. “Are you sure? You just got here! It’s getting dark out there! I don’t want you getting--”

“Maria. I’ll be fine. This is not the first time I’ve travelled alone.”  
She huffed. She could try to talk him out of it, but it would be like pulling a boot out of the mud. “Okay. I’m letting you off the hook this time because of Annette. Next time you have to stay for at least one whole day, is that clear?”

Richter gave a little salute. “Understood milady.”

“Oh don’t mock me!” She pretended to swat him with the hammer, but gave him a hug and a peck on the cheek instead. “Travel safe.”

“I will. Take care of yourself, you hear?”

“Don’t worry about me. Tell Annette I said hello and congratulations!”

“Definitely.” 

He and Alucard shook hands. Maria had forgotten he was standing there. He remained the quietest person she had ever met.

“Thank you,” Alucard said. Maria wasn’t sure if he meant it or not.

“You’re quite welcome. Please let me know if you are in need of assistance of any kind. That goes for you too Maria.”

Maria returned the salute. “Understood sir!”

Richter chuckled as he opened the door. Maria followed suit, standing on the slab of rock she used as the steps. She watched him saddle up onto his horse who was wiggling her nose into a bale of hay that had been somewhat sheltered from past rains. She stifled a laugh as Richter tried to steer her onto the road. Finally once he was situated, he waved back at her. “Good-bye!”

“Bye!”

Then Richter was gone in a cloud of thick dust and brown leaves. Maria was suddenly more worried about the horse than her brother-in-law. 

Sighing, she shut the door and turned to face the last person she ever expected to be alone with once more. And judging from the way Alucard sat down at the table, it seemed he was dwelling on the same thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huge thanks to my beloved beta reader Aoi Haruki! If it weren't for her I don't think this would've seen the light of day.
> 
> You can find me over on tumblr as glorfys-glorioushair for other eventual content pertaining to this fic as well.  
> https://www.tumblr.com/blog/glorfys-glorioushair


	2. A Great Start?

Maria began to cook dinner as soon as Richter left, deciding to busy herself in something useful, instead of attempting to entertain her new guest with bland humor before sunset. Tying an apron skirt around her waist, she whisked past Alucard to get to work.

The two of them did not speak to each other until Maria burnt her hand on the lid of one of her cooking pots hanging in the fireplace. The gloves she had worn today were too thin for all this labor apparently. She'd wear a different pair tomorrow.

“Ah!” she cried, sticking her finger in her mouth. Her fingers couldn’t catch a break today. “Oh for Christ’s sake, I always do this.” It was true, she often forgot to remove the cast iron before starting the fire. 

Alucard cleared his throat and Maria whipped around. He had his hands clasped in front of him, and was demurely staring at her.

“Yes?” she asked with a wave of her ladle. “Oh nothing,” he said, glancing down at the table.

“Okay, then,” she muttered, turning back to the challenge of dinner, grabbing a towel this time. 

A couple of loud bangs and curses later, Maria had what looked like a nice mixture of pork and potatoes stewing together. Maybe she’d actually have a good dinner for once. She had eaten bread the other day and there was still some of the dark loaf left, so she decided to heat it up alongside the meal.  
She started rummaging her pantry for that jar of raspberry preservatives she enjoyed, when Alucard coughed again. Maria resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the dhampir, she needed to be a courteous host after all. 

“Is there something you’d like to say?” she implored. 

Alucard leaned back in the chair, tugging at his collar. “It’s nothing. I uh, am simply surprised to hear such colorful language from a lady like yourself.”

The sentence pricked her like a stinging nettle.

“I’m surprised that you’re so quiet for a man,” she retorted, setting down a pickle jar. One that sits and does absolutely nothing to help. What a gentleman. She was beginning to reevaluate what she originally thought of him.

Alucard mumbled something she couldn’t make out. 

“What was that?” She was about halfway through the cabinet now. Had she not just used the jam yesterday? 

“Oh nothing. Did you need any help?” Alucard asked. Maria couldn’t help but think he was a tad late on that. She had it under control by this point.

“Hm no I think I have it all inㅡ” a bottle of vinegar slipping from her grasp and shattered on the floor. “Well sh—”

“I can get that!” Alucard interrupted, leaping into action. “Do you have a cloth or something to that degree?”

She handed him the one that she had draped across her shoulder. “Here,” she said.

She peered into the cabinet to see a complete vacancy on the middle shelf, except for a few shrivelled spiders. Where was that godforsaken jar?

A light smell of burning brick rose into the air behind her and she groaned. Great. The bread was probably on fire now. She snatched up her spatula and went to head back to the fireplace, but Alucard’s leg was there as he was still sopping up the vinegar she had dropped. She tripped and tried to grab the side of the mantle to stop her fall, but hit the cooking rack instead. Which was much, much worse. The rack fell out of place and sent the pot crashing down, the contents spilling onto the stone floor. She got back to her feet quick and frantically tried to save the savory smelling concoction, but there wasn’t even enough for one person.

Alucard held up the towel. “I think you need this more than me now.”

“Oh give it here,” she growled and swiped it out of his hand, mad enough as it is. Alucard had been a great ally in the castle, helping her get Richter back. Yet having him here at the cottage was a different story. Why did he make her nervous now? Was it her incapability to fix a proper meal? Or something else she couldn’t think of at the moment? She scrubbed furiously away at the mess she made. She’d get this finished, grab the bread, find that darn— 

The scent of heavier smoke stung the back of her throat as she paused for a breath. 

“Oh the bread!” She scrambled to her feet, wondering why Alucard hadn’t bothered to get it. She had a feeling he did not do this often. The bread was the equivalent to black smouldering hard-tack. At least it wasn’t on fire.

The dinner was officially ruined. She swiped a hand across her braid and tried to maintain any remaining composure left in her body.  
“Were you looking for this?”

A sinking stone in her stomach, she looked up to see Alucard holding up a familiar jar of burgundy preserves.

She threw down the filthy rag that now reeked of vinegar and starch. “This is all ruined!” She pointed over to a covered basket in the left corner of the kitchen. “There are some apples in there. That’ll have to be enough for tonight, because as Richter said I clearly can’t cook to save my life!”

Alucard only eyed her with that blank expression he had done the first few times they ran into each other at the castle. He walked over to the basket, gently placing the jam on the table on the way. 

Maria went back to cleaning up the literal mess she made. She had her work cut out for herself. So much for being a good hostess. 

She proceeded to clean everything up for what had to be the next hour or so, scrubbing relentlessly at the slop with a water bucket and then sweeping the glass up. She also put away the cooking utensils with a frustrated hand at every crunch of Alucard’s apple. She was brushing up any last speck of mess with a broom, when Alucard got up from his seat.

“If you don’t mind me asking Maria, where should I sleep?”

“Oh right! Sorry about that, let me get the room ready for you. How would you like it?”

“Ah actually, I would really like to simply get some rest if that is all right. I am not too choosy, so don’t worry about the appearance of the room.”  
“Oh okay.” There goes her final chance at setting things right for the night. “The spare room is down the hall to your right. Mine’s on the left.” She put her hand to her forehead. He didn’t need to know where she slept! Or did he? God she was horrible at this.

He began to walk away. A thought suddenly occurred to her. “Wait a moment, I thought you weren’t able to sleep.”

Alucard regarded her as if she was a fool. Or that was the impression she got. Maria had yet to dissect his facial expressions alongside his words. “I can sleep as a normal human would, just not permanently. That is all.”

“I see. Well,” she said, propping the broom against the wall, “Good night. Thank you for _all_ the help.”

He gave a brisk nod and disappeared down the hall. Maria sighed and went to light the centerpiece candle on the table before the house became too dark to see. She flopped down in a chair to rest her feet for a moment. She could go comb her hair and ready herself for bed in a minute. Maria rubbed her head and a flash of red caught the corner of her eye. There was a red delicious perched at the edge of the table, a finely crafted dagger its quiet companion.

“Well then,” she said, reaching for the piece of fruit. Oh how she wished her brother-in-law had stayed. “Richter, we’re off to a _great_ start.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there's chapter two! Or how I lovingly call it: "Alucard doesn’t approve of potty mouths and Maria gets kicked off Master Chef"
> 
> Again thank you Aoi Haruki for being my beta and hopefully there will be more chapters this coming week!
> 
> <3 glorfys_glorioushair


	3. Sharper Than Talons Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long time no see! I had been burnt out for obvious reasons cough covid cough but I'm back y'all! Enjoy this next chapter installment of our domestic heroes!

Alucard’s night was full of inner demons and bloodied dreams. Sleep had not come easy despite the room he had been offered. He now laid awake on a mattress which was stuffed to the limit with scratchy cotton. The pillows were feather and there was one digging into the back of his neck. Unable to sleep any longer, he watched the rays of early morning light stream through the curtains drawn across the window. Alucard thought back to last night’s events and winced. 

He hated to admit it but he was not familiarized with the kitchen at all. That had been something his mother had been caught up in, delighting in baking. “The everyday science” she had named it, her eyes happy with flour against her cheeks. The spirits of maids from a time long ago would frequent their time with her there, enjoying the company of a living breathing woman. Those friendly ghosts later turned to frozen shades, their hearts gone to ice when his mother had turned to ash. 

He sighed and sat up. Why did his mind always wallow in past ghosts?

Running a hand through his hair, tearing past the tangles, he mused on the setting he had placed himself into. He hadn’t planned on this. 

When he had laid back down in his coffin, awaiting the lull of dreamless slumber, he had slept soundly. But he woke up a few hours later to cobwebs and the creak of wooden planks far above him.

He tried many more times, but nothing was working. He checked the levels of the few mechanical devices he had constructed over three centuries ago, wondering if that was the case. He upgraded them, but still to no avail he kept waking. He spent time reading whatever of his book collection could offer. He had always relied more on the tomes in the castle, but he hadn’t managed to salvage anything out of the castle wreckage when it collapsed. He needed help. Thanks to his secluded childhood, he was a highly independent individual and only ever seeked dependence in desperate hours. And the worst was that he was going mad with the fact his memories from three-hundred years ago were trickling back. Back to his once more conscious mind. 

So he left his crypt in Gresit, and went to seek out the Belmonts. The estate had moved a ways from where he had left it the first time, no longer near ruins of the first mansion. Some Belmont ancestors must not have been a fan of nostalgic architecture.

Richter had been downright confused about the whole situation, trying to do his best to act like he did though. He reminded Alucard of Trevor Belmont so much it made him feel ribbons of guilt-tinged sorrow sitting in Richter’s den room. 

Alucard hadn’t seen Annette, Richter’s wife, but he had felt the warm pink glow emanating new life from her as she moved about in another room. Thanks to his vampire side, he had a heightened perspective of the human emotions and their souls. He never was good at keeping the ability under wraps all the time. His vampire side just got the better of him sometimes, much to his disdain. Never blood though. Never that.

Alucard lifted his arms and stretched, shoulder blades popping. He needed to focus on the fact that he had now reentered human existence —hopefully for a short span of time— that included living under the same roof as none other than Maria Renard. 

He had appreciated her help in the castle, despite her obvious distrust and slight fearfulness in him for the majority of the time. This was an entirely different playing field. He wasn’t certain of the times, but from Richter and Maria’s conversation he could tell that her living by herself was unfit and unwelcome. Humans, as much as he admired their resilience, seemed to remain slow in progressive changes to their society. By taking up residence here—a mysterious man unrelated to her—was not improving the situation. 

These thoughts led Alucard to question things about Maria beyond their interactions in his father’s castle. Why did she insist on living alone? Where was the rest of the Renard clan? And a more unrelated one, what did she do when she wasn’t on the monster hunting job? 

Alucard scratched his head at the same moment a door slammed. The front door. He paused, listening intently. There was the crunching of leaves and the loud chirps of what sounded like sparrows and other birds to that degree. There was also a faint laugh that he had to strain to catch. 

Unable to maintain his curiosity, Alucard slipped out of bed, tugging his vest on and his boots at the foot of the bed. He called his sword to its sheath as he pulled on his coat. The hallway and the kitchen were empty, except for the crackle of wood in the fireplace. 

Alucard turned and went out the front door. Now that he wasn’t suffocating under Richter’s sweaty beer-stenched coat, Alucard was able to see what Maria’s “property” entailed.

There were bushes shriveled to their brown twig cores tucked under the two windows on either side of the door. A foot-trodden path led towards a muddy road. Two others were spread on either side of him. He followed the right path, taking him around the side of the house to where there was a decent sized garden that had already fallen susceptible to the frosty Wallachian mornings. Most of it had been harvested, but that didn’t hold his attention as much as what he saw in the middle of the rows of vegetables. 

A bird coop on tall stilts with overhanging open cages spread about it stood proud, a swarm of sparrows and buntings clustered about the contraption. Their attention was on Maria, whose back was to Alucard. She was distributing seeds to them from a side pouch at her belt. He noticed that Maria wore the same breeches from yesterday with a clean shirt beneath a deep blue cloak. The work gloves that she had worn were on as well. 

He started towards her, trying to not frighten the squabbling birds that were fluttering about everywhere. However, Maria turned ever so slightly and must have caught a glimpse of his black coat, because it sent a dozen or so birds to hide in the nearest trees.

“Oh Alucard! You’re finally up! For not being able to go into an eternal slumber you sure sleep a lot.” More chipper than last night it seemed.

Alucard didn’t want to explain that he’d been up most of the night, thanks to the prolific dreams of terror, so he just nodded. “Ah yes I suppose that’s true. I am surprised that you’re up so early.” The first blues and pinks of day were still hardly peeking up above the treetops. 

“Early bird gets the worm! Or in this case bird-feed.” Maria gestured with her seed filled hands at the aviary. “Just doing my rounds by feeding the local fowl. And more importantly my doves.”

She stepped out of the way and Alucard could see that there were three sections top to bottom each filled with two or three cozied doves the color of fresh fallen snow.

“You keep doves. That makes sense actually.” He had seen her summon a few back in the castle. 

Maria nodded. A tiny sparrow flew down and sat on the edge of her thumb pecking at a dried corn kernel. Three more joined it. “Yeah. They’re a great means of communication. Falcons are quite popular among the large clans and cities. I prefer the gentle kind of messenger. They are super sweet! Would you like to hold one?”

“Uh… ” Alucard wasn’t sure if touching a saintly dove was the best thing for the son of Dracula to be doing.

Maria dusted the last bit of seed onto the ground, the birds hopping after the seeds. “Here let me get out Rosemary. She’s the calmest of the lot.” She gave him a small smile. Was that fear or anger in her eyes? He could not tell. Peering into her emotions with his vampiric senses would be rude. He didn’t want to see her upset again. So he clamped that part of his brain shut. Best to do that from now on.

Maria unlatched one of the cage doors containing two doves and reached in to pick up the slender one tucked in the corner. Rosemary, Alucard assumed. Rosemary offered no resistance and Maria almost had her out, but the other dove—the rotund fluffy one—squeezed out of the open cage.

Maria guffawed. “Riceball! You rascal!”

However, instead of flying off into the open sky, Riceball dive bombed Alucard’s face. He threw up his hands to block the bird’s attack. 

Maria laughed, Rosemary cooing in her palms. “Someone likes you!”

Alucard felt claws dig into his scalp. “Riceball’s on my head aren’t they?”

Maria giggled. “She is. Your hair must be the optimum nesting spot.”

Alucard wanted to come back with a quip of something, something that would have been easily shared with his comrades of the past. But he didn’t know what to say. Just a few months ago, the two of them had been tearing apart foul monsters and now they were being overpowered by a small bird. What could you say to that? 

Maria stroked Rosemary, who cuddled with content in the woman’s grasp. “Well? Are you going to get her off your head?

Alucard reached up and attempted to grab Riceball, but the bird flapped her wings in protest. He ducked his head, trying to shake the dove off that way instead. Riceball would not budge, much like her sticky namesake. 

“Hey! Riceball!” Maria gave a sharp whistle and Alucard’s scalp was relieved of claws. Alucard ran his hands through his hair, soothing the soreness from the bird. 

He watched Maria shoo Riceball back into the coop alongside her complacent companion. 

“Sorry about that. Probably should have done that in the first place,” Maria said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “She can be a bit of a handful.” 

“It’s okay,” Alucard offered. 

There was a painfully long pause, the only noise coming from an agitated Riceball. 

“Uh about last night,” Maria began, fiddling with her fingers. “I’m sorry about dinner. I was a terrible host by failing to provide a hearty meal and only having apples. And my tongue was a bit on the loose end so I’m—”

“Maria,” Alucard said, aware she was about to embark on a long ramble. “Don’t worry about it. That’s in the past now.”

Maria clenched and unclenched her fists. “Right.”

She looked up and met his gaze. The vibrant green was as fiery as the divine beasts he had once seen her control. “I’m going to go fix some sausage and eggs. Would you like some?”

“Ah no thank you,” Alucard declined.

They stood there for a minute longer. Maria cleared her throat. “Well feel free to look around then.”

Then she bounded off, leaving Alucard to wonder what about him bothered her. 

He wandered about the garden, speculating what might be a common thing grown here. There was evidence for some vegetables, but for the most part herbs. It seemed that Maria was interested in herbalism. A flicker of excitement came and he quelled it away. He was only to be here for a short moment to do his needed research. As he always said— no time for small talk.

_Caw! Caw!_

Alucard glanced up to see a large hawk land atop the aviary. It began tearing apart a rat it held in its clutches. He watched it choke down the bright ribbons of flesh and noted how quiet the doves were. He would’ve thought they’d be struck by shrill cries of terror, stirring up a torrent of snowy down. They huddled as if the wet shredding sound was a comfort. It was disturbing. Then again, they belonged to Maria who was gentle like a swan, but whose talons were sharper than any knife. The woman sure was something else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve always felt that Alucard has keener senses than what was let on in the games or perhaps it’s inspiration from reading Interview with the Vampire. From how I’ve written this, it’s like he has synesthesia. But with emotional states involved?? I just don’t know how to explain it well. Anyway, expect more color descriptions whenever he taps into it, both in control and out of it. I hope that makes sense. Comments are always welcome!


	4. Sharper Than Talons Part 2

Alucard spent some more time perusing the rest of Maria’s property. Quite far behind the cottage, stood a sagging outhouse and the odor made him gag. He wished his sense of smell wasn’t so sharp. Finding some way to freshen up that spot would be glorious. He continued to wrap around the house to escape the potential of hurling. The other side wasn’t much better. There was a small stable big enough to hold at least two horses. Although at the moment no horse would even want to be in the place. Wood-rot and the termite scars along the walls and several fallen beams made it unfunctional. A small pile of hay was in there, albeit wet and moldy. He could hear a smatter of clucks and squawks from one end and discovered a chicken coop still intact and was occupied by four brown hens. Maria loved birds. It was the first simple truth he understood about her. That and the fact her cooking was terrible. But perhaps he could let that one slide. 

That was about it for the property. Alucard had come to the final consensus: the previous owners of this place had let it go to waste and it was in desperate need of repair. 

Alucard glanced up at the roof, noting that only two boards remained to be nailed in. There were also rolls of longstraw- for thatching- swaying in the slight breeze that had picked up. The breeze that smelled of incoming heavy rain. 

Alucard frowned. This task needed to be complete in about three hours, something he knew was not possible for a single person to accomplish. Maria was busy in the kitchen which would only delay her from working on it. Include the rain and this wouldn’t get done for another week. 

Eyeing the roof’s ledge, Alucard knew what he could do. He took a few steps back, then leaped up onto the cottage, his coat momentarily unfurling raven wings to give him a boost.

Nailing the boards down didn't take long at all, and soon he began to weave the long straw into the wood. He had never done this before, but he had read a manual somewhere detailing the techniques, so he channeled that thought through the first few rows. Thanks to his supernatural speed, he had knocked off an hour of time. 

Alucard found this relaxing and it surprised him. His life had been so full of defeating his father’s foul creations and demons, he had forgotten the pleasure in ordinary labor. His mother loved these menial tasks. Alucard had the impression his parents lived in a setting similar to this. It was bittersweet and he was so lost in thoughts he hadn’t heard the creak of the ladder. 

“What are you doing?”

Alucard turned to see Maria clambering onto the roof, the scowl from earlier still plastered on her face.

“I’m thatching the roof,” he said, holding up the half-used bundle of straw. 

Maria’s jaw clenched before she said, “I already had everything under control.”

“It’s going to rain soon,” Alucard replied. “I don’t want you to get soaked and have another day with rain buckets.”

Maria opened her mouth as if to speak, then closed it, offering only a stiff nod. Then she picked up a bundle and started to thatch where he had left off. Alucard stepped back and let her take over. He watched her get through the rest of the row which by that point she was already sweating profusely. He sighed. 

“Maria, stop.”

Surprisingly, she paused. She wiped her brow and their eyes met momentarily. 

“What is it, Alucard? Do you need something?”

He shook his head. “I think I should be asking you those questions.”

“What do you mean?”

“What I mean is that…” Alucard gathered his thoughts. He could just tell her he was leaving and let her be at ease, but he figured that would infuriate her further. So he settled for what he suspected was the truth. “What I mean, is you have been upset this whole time I’ve been here. But I can tell you want to be a good host and handle everything yourself. That is all.”

Maria let out a sigh which sounded more akin to a huff. She came over and sat down beside him. They sat in silence for a few moments, Maria fiddling with those gloves of hers. Did they itch or something? 

“I apologize for my behavior,” Maria began. “I’m not exactly prime ‘hostess’ material. And well it’s you.”

“Me?”

She gave a nervous chuckle. “Yes you silly.”

Alucard knew it was his fault. Of course it was. This had been a bad idea coming here and upsetting her peaceful life. “I terrify you don’t I?”

Maria rubbed her face. “No you don’t. I just want to be able to trust you.”

“You want to, but you cannot. That implies you have fear, does it not?”

She huffed again. “That’s not what I’m trying to say.”

“Then please share what has upset you.” 

Maria curled up further into herself beside him, refusing to look him in the eye. “When the castle fell and you bid your farewell, I couldn’t bear to let you go off on your own. I was worried about you. So I went after you.”

Alucard didn’t quite know what to say. He hadn’t in the slightest known she’d follow him. 

“I know. It’s silly and I’m likely the biggest fool for still worrying over your sake, but you had finished doing something so heartbreaking, I couldn’t just leave you to try and heal those wounds alone.”

The muted vision of a girl in green searching amid brambles, body heaving from all the shouts of his own name, made Alucard’s chest tighten. He was mistaken in his earlier theory it seemed. 

“And suddenly you show back up here, needing my help,” Maria continued, arms spread wide. “And I’m too incompetent to do just that. I haven’t provided a decent meal, my birds attack you, and I really don’t know enough about you to provide for you.” She hid a reddening face behind her hands. “Gah! It’s so embarrassing.”

“You’re upset with yourself, not with me.” 

Maria ducked her head and clasped her hands together. “Exactly that.”

“You shouldn’t be upset or embarrassed. You’ve done quite a service by letting me stay under your roof. I take it this is not common behavior for an independent woman to allow strangers into her household?”

“That would be correct,” Maria said, giving him a quizzical look.

“That alone speaks volumes. You have given me the space to find a solution to my stasis dilemma.”

“I’ve been thinking and I’d like to help you on that endeavor.”

Alucard nodded. He had been expecting this, but he would appreciate it. He didn’t want any more suffering to happen with him being the problem. 

“That will be fine. However, this property needs some serious attention and it looks to be too much work for one person. You must allow me to assist you as well, whether it be outside or inside your house. It’s only fair.”

Maria finally met his gaze, a softened glint in her eyes. “It’s a deal. Perhaps we should finish the roof together to call it even.” She smiled, standing up, the hammer she had been using before now offered between them for him to use.

Alucard’s lips twitched up into a minuscule version of Maria’s. He felt that pinch around his heart again. “I’d be most obliged.” 

He accepted the hammer, and they got to work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the shorter chapter, but I hope you enjoyed. I'm working on the next two chapters for what I like to call Act 1 and then we'll get into the good stuff from the radio drama. Y'all are wonderful and special shout out to my beta Aoi Haruki! Your enthusiasm during proofreading keeps me going XD
> 
> <3 glorfys_glorioushair


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